Planter wire scale



Sept. 8, l931 M. N. l AURsr-:N 1,822,352

PLNTER WIRE SCALE Filed May 12. 1930 Patented Sept. 8, 1931 PATE-Nr'ojFFlcE';

MARIUS N. LAURSEN, 0F OBRIEN COUNTY, IOWA PLANTER WIRE SCALE Applicationfiled May 12, 1930. SerialgLNo. 451,656.

The object of my invention is to provide a planter wire scale which issimple, durable and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

A further object of my invention is to provide ascale whereby thetension of a planter wire may be accurately determined.

In this connection it may here be mentioned that in planting corn with acorn planter, a check row wire extends between stakes at the ends of thecorn eld and is provided with buttons properly spaced and which coactwith the mechanism of the corn planter during its travel across thefield to drop the grains of corn in properly spaced hills.

The problem has been encountered of keeping the tension of the wirealwaysthe same, as the stakes are set irst at one end of the eld andthen at the other.

The necessity for keeping the tension of the wire the same each settingof the stake is due to the fact that unless equal tension is preservedthroughout the width of the field, the hills in consecutive rows will beout of alignment and the corn cannot then be cultivated crosswise of theeld which is very desirable.

It is, therefore, my object to provide a scale means to accuratelydetermine the tension of the wire and to further provide a convenientand easily operated means for accurately adjusting the planter scaleafter the stake has been set.

lVith these and other objects in view myV invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of mydevice, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinaftermore fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings. Although the invention is susceptible of avariety of embodiments, it is unnecessary to fully describe andillustrate more than -one in order to give a full understanding of theinvention both from its structural and functional standpoints.Accordingly, I have illustrated a preferred and desirable embodiment ofthe invention in the accompanyingdrawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a pair of stakes,

a pair of planter wire scales embodying my invention and a planter wirehavingits ends connected with the planter wire scales.

`Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through one of theplanter wire scales showing the construction thereof'andV taken on theline 2-2 of Figure 1. Y Figure 3 is a partial planview of one of thescales and A Figures 4 and 5 are sectional views on the lines 4 4 and5-5 respectively of Figure 2 illustrating cross `sectional views of theplanter wire scale; Y 1 1 On the accompanying drawings, I have used thereference numeral 10V to indicate a removablestake which may be insertedin the ground at the end of a' corn field. The planter wire scale isindicated generally by the reference character A while the planter wireitself is indicated at 12. This trip buttons of the planter wire 12`areindicated `at 14.

The planter wire scale Aconsists of a casing member 16 h aving alongitudinal bore 18. A scale bar 20 is slidably mounted in the bore 18and `is constrained toward inward movement by a lspring 22. The spring22 is anchored to the casing 16l by means'of a rivet or the like 24. l

The scale bar 2Q is provided with a` pointer 26 extending through a slot28 in the casingY 16. The pointer 26 cooperates with indicating'marks 30whereby the tension exerted to pull the scale b'ar 2O against the actionof the spring 22 may be measured. p

A screw threaded rod 32 is' slidably mounted in vthe bore 18 and isretained against rotating movement relative thereto by means of a pin34. The pin 34 travels in slots 36 formed in the sides of the casing 16.

Tie bars 38are provided for "reinforcing 'the casing 16 over the slots36.

A bevel gear 4() is screw threadedly mounted on the rod 32 and mesheswith a bevel gear 42. The bevel gear 42 is mounted on a stub shaft 44and is provided with a crank 46 for rotating the gear.

The outer end of the rod 32 is provided with a perforated eye 48 adaptedto coact with a hook 50 formed on the stake 10.

ido

Practical operation lu the @Imation 0l my device, 011e stik@ l0 1smailed 1n the ground it 011e und ol :i con field, one of the scales A ishooked on the hook 5() thereof, the wire 12 is strung lengthwise of theield and attached to the scale A already referred to and to a second onewhich '2in ,turn is hooked to another stake 10 at the opposite end ofthe field. The crank 46 at the second end of the ield is adjusted untilthe desired tension of the wire 12 -is indicated by the pointer 26 andmarks 30. A row of corn is then planted whereupon the iirst stake isreset and adjusted by the crank 46 on the first scale until the readingthereof isthefsameas the otherone. These stepsare repeated throughoutthe width of the :lield with the :result that the -hills of corn areaccurately aligned crosswise of the iield Without any guess work.

ASome achanges may fbe made in the `construction and arrangement xof the.parts of my -device Without ,departing from the real spirit and purposeof my invention, vand itis my intention toacoverby my claims, anymodified forms of .structure or use .of mechanical equivalents, Vwhichmay be reasonably included Within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

r1. .Inra planter wirescale, a frame, a telescoping :bar molmtedtherein, scale means to indicate the extension of said bar, a screwthreaded :rod telescopcally mounted Vin said frame, a bevel gearthreaded thereon, a second bevelfgear mesh-ing with the :first one andcrank or rotating the second bevel gear.

2. In a planter wire scale, a frame, a telescoping bar :mounted therein,a spring for pulling the lbar inward :relative to the frame, a pointerenthe Ybar1to indicate the extension of said bar, :a screw lthreaded rodtelescopically Vmounted in said frame, a bevel gear threaded thereon, vasecond bevel gear meshing with the first one and a crank Jforrotatingfthe second bevel gear.

3. In a planter wire scale, Aa frameVa telescoping bar mounted therein,scale means to indicate the extension of said bar, la screw threaded rodtelescopically mounted in said frame, a member threaded thereon Aandmeans 'for rotating the member.

sa. In a planter wire scale, a tubular `casing, ka bar slidabe in oneend thereof, lspring means to pull lthe bar inward, a rod slidable in-theother'end of said casing, said rod being threaded, ya bevel gearthreaded thereon, a second bevel gear meshing .therewith and a crank on'the second bevel gear.

Des Moines, Iowa, April 29, 1930.

MARIU'S N. LAURSEN.

